(טו) וַיִּקַּ֛ח יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶת־הָֽאָדָ֑ם וַיַּנִּחֵ֣הוּ בְגַן־עֵ֔דֶן לְעָבְדָ֖הּ וּלְשָׁמְרָֽהּ ׃
The text states that god took man and placed him in Gan Eden. By doing this his purpose was to "to till it and tend it." (Sefaria) While Sefaria took the literal interpretation of לְעָבְדָ֖הּ וּלְשָׁמְרָֽהּ, I think it has a deeper meaning. In the beginning Rashi explains that, "The Torah which is the Law book of Israel should have commenced with the verse (Exodus 12:2) 'This month shall be unto you the first of the months' which is the first commandment given to Israel. What is the reason, then, that it commences with the account of the Creation?" By using this thought of Rashi of which the Torah is the "law book of Israel" we can take on a different interpretation on this text. לְעָבְדָ֖הּ וּלְשָׁמְרָֽהּ I think can be use as a metaphor. This is a law that Rashi was talking about. The first thought וּלְשָׁמְרָֽהּ could be to protect the land. This is a law not just referring to protecting Gan Eden, but all of your inhabitance. Later in Breshit it says"
וּֽלְכָל־חַיַּ֣ת הָ֠אָרֶץ וּלְכָל־ע֨וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֜יִם וּלְכֹ֣ל ׀ רוֹמֵ֣שׂ עַל־הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־בּוֹ֙ נֶ֣פֶשׁ חַיָּ֔ה אֶת־כָּל־יֶ֥רֶק עֵ֖שֶׂב לְאָכְלָ֑ה וַֽיְהִי־כֵֽן׃
And to all the animals on land, to all the birds of the sky, and to everything that creeps on earth, in which there is the breath of life, [I give] all the green plants for food.” And it was so." This is a repetative statement of which the land was given for a reason. Humans are superior and thererfore were given the right to protect the land for future inhabitants. A counterpoint is Noah's ark which occurs later in Genesis. God says,
וַתִּשָּׁחֵ֥ת הָאָ֖רֶץ לִפְנֵ֣י הָֽאֱלֹהִ֑ים וַתִּמָּלֵ֥א הָאָ֖רֶץ חָמָֽס׃
The earth became corrupt before God; the earth was filled with lawlessness. While there is no reason to why this occurs besdies balaming it on man, this shows the concequences of honing such responsiblities such as guarding the land and ruling the animals. In conclusion, וּלְשָׁמְרָֽהּ has many responsiblities such as ruling the earth but with great power comes consequences.
(י) אַרְבַּע מִדּוֹת בָּאָדָם.
הָאוֹמֵר שֶׁלִּי שֶׁלִּי וְשֶׁלְּךָ שֶׁלָּךְ, זוֹ מִדָּה בֵינוֹנִית. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים, זוֹ מִדַּת סְדוֹם.
שֶׁלִּי שֶׁלָּךְ וְשֶׁלְּךָ שֶׁלִּי, עַם הָאָרֶץ.
שֶׁלִּי שֶׁלָּךְ וְשֶׁלְּךָ שֶׁלָּךְ, חָסִיד.
שֶׁלִּי שֶׁלִּי וְשֶׁלְּךָ שֶׁלִּי, רָשָׁע:
(10) There are four kinds of people: one who says "what is mine is mine, and what is yours is yours" -- that's intermediate, but there are some who say that is the way of Sodom
"what is mine is yours, and what is yours is mine" - Idiot.
"what is mine is yours, and what is yours is yours" - Pious
"what is yours is mine, and what is mine is mine" - Wicked.
Before you read the following text, look up R. Samson Rafael Hirsch (click on his bio) and tell me a bit about him by typing into this box.
Look up the 19 letters, to, and say something about them.
רב שמשון רפאל הירש
אם הכל, כקטן כגדול, כח ה' שלוח ממעל, חמוש באמצעים הדרושים, במקום הראוי ובחוג קבוע לפעול ולעשות על פי חוקי ה', - לקחת רק למען תת — האם יוכל האדם לבדו להיות נבדל ויוצא מחוג החיים הזה? האם נולד האדם רק לקחת.... הכל, התבל ועבדי ה' אשר בה, והאדם יעבוד רק את עצמו? את עצמו? לא! .... הכל, כל אשר לך: רוח, גוף, אנשים, נכסים, ברואים וכל כשרון וכל כח, המה האמצעים לפעול ולעבוד "לעבדה ולשמרה!" אך אהבה אך צדק! לא לך נתנה הארץ למנה, רק הנך נתון אל האדמה לעבדה ולהוקירה כאדמת קדש, תבל ה', וכל אחד מיצוריה כיציר שדי, כאחיך, לאהוב ולכבד אותו ולהביאו לתכליתו ומטרתו לפי רצון ה', — לזאת, תשמח בציץ ופרח ותאבל עם שושנה נובלת.
Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch
Since all things, the smallest and the greatest, are God's chosen messengers, to work, each in its place, and with its measure of power, according to the law of the Most High, taking only that it may give again, should man alone be excluded from this circle of blessed activity? Can he be born only to take?.... The world and all which is therein serves God; is it conceivable that man alone should only serve himself? No! ....All which thou possessest, spirit, body, human beings, wealth, every ability and every power, they are means of activity; לעבדה ולשמרה to promote and preserve the world were they given — love and righteousness. Not thine is the earth, but thou belongest to the earth, to respect it as Divine soil and to deem every one of its creatures a creature of God, thy fellow-being; to respect and love it as such, and as such to endeavor to bring it nearer to its goal, according to the will of God.... therefore thou rejoicest when the flower blooms and sorrowest when it fades.
What makes something kosher? If you look for sources, add them below this text, but also include your understanding of the Pshat. You will likely add a few sources before you read the next passage.
Jerusalem Post Interview with R. Haskel Lookstein and R. Yitz Greenberg, May 3, 2008
Original Question: In 1971, you were the only Orthodox rabbis to declare that non-union lettuce and grapes should be regarded as non-kosher and you urged Jews to boycott them. What is the basis in Judaism for that position? R. Greenberg: We were both students of the Rav, Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik. From him we learned the idea that Halacha is not just a list of ritual dos and don'ts, but a comprehensive worldview that applies to everything that happens around us. The Torah prohibits the exploitation of workers- so why shouldn't that apply to migrant farm workers picking lettuce or grapes? They were being mistreated, so it was natural for us to apply the principle of non-exploitation to their situation, too. It seemed obvious.
Suggested Discussion Questions
How does this text reflect your idea of Kashrut?
What does this have to do with R. Strassfield's comment about studying vs. living Torah?
בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁבָּרָא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֶת אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן, נְטָלוֹ וְהֶחֱזִירוֹ עַל כָּל אִילָנֵי גַּן עֵדֶן, וְאָמַר לוֹ, רְאֵה מַעֲשַׂי כַּמָּה נָאִים וּמְשֻׁבָּחִין הֵן, וְכָל מַה שֶּׁבָּרָאתִי בִּשְׁבִילְךָ בָּרָאתִי, תֵּן דַּעְתְּךָ שֶׁלֹא תְקַלְקֵל וְתַחֲרִיב אֶת עוֹלָמִי, שֶׁאִם קִלְקַלְתָּ אֵין מִי שֶׁיְתַקֵּן אַחֲרֶיךָ.
When the Blessed Holy One created the first human, He took him and led him round all the trees of the Garden of Eden and said to him: “Look at My works, how beautiful and praiseworthy they are! And all that I have created, it was for you that I created it. Pay attention that you do not corrupt and destroy My world: if you corrupt it, there is no one to repair it after you.
רבי שמעון בן אלעזר אומר אף אדם הראשון לא טעם כלום עד שעשה מלאכה שנאמר ויניחהו בגן עדן לעבדה ולשמרה וגו' מכל עץ הגן אכול תאכל (בראשית ב' ט"ו וט"ז
Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar said: “Even Adam did not taste food until he had performed work, as it is said, ‘Adonai God took the human and placed him in the garden of Eden to till it and preserve it’ (Gen. 2:15). Only then do we read, ‘From every tree of the Garden you may eat’ (Gen. 2:16).” [This text was compiled by Rabbis J. Rolando Matalon, Marcelo Bronstein and Felicia Sol of Congregation B’nai Jeshurun in New York, NY.]
Suggested Discussion Questions
1. Why did Adam have to work before he could eat? How can we put that value into our everyday lives?
2. Does everyone in the world receive food in proportion to the work that they do? What might this text teach us about our responsibility towards those people?
3. What does Adam's command to "preserve it" teach us about our relationship to the earth and the food we eat?